Once a rich man went to another rich man's home. Seeing the three-story building was so spacious and majestic, he felt envious and thought, "I have as much money as he has. Why did I never think of building a such a mansion?"

    When he got home, he callde a carpenter at once and asked him:"Can you build a three-story house?"

    The carpenter replied, "Yes, I built that other rich man's three-story house."   

     The rich man was pleasde and said, "Then build a similar house for me."

     So the carpenter began to measure, dig and lay the foundations. But the rich man was puzzlde and askde him:"Why areyou doing this?"

    "It's for your three-story house !" The carpenter answered.

   "I don't want the first two floors. Build the third floor first."

   "How no earch can I do that? Without the first floor, how can I build the second? Without the second, how can I bulid the third?"

   "I simply don't want the first two. You must build the third floor for me first."

    The carpenter didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. He could do nothing but just to pack up his tools and go home.

译文：

先盖第三层楼

    从前有个财主，一次到一个富翁家，见人家有一座三层楼房，既高在半丽，又宽敞明亮，心里顿生羡慕。他想：“我的钱财并不比他少，为什么就没有想到盖这样一座楼房呢？”

    回到家里，他连忙找来木匠，问道：“你会盖三层楼房吗？”

    木匠回答说：“那个富翁的三层楼房就是我盖的。”

    财主听了，高兴地说：“现在你就给我盖一座同样的楼房。”

   于是，木匠按照财主的吩咐，开始测量、挖沟、奠基。财主见了，疑惑不解地问木匠：“你这是在干什么？”

   “给您盖三层楼房啊！”木匠回答说。

     财主又说：“我不想要下面两层，你可以先给我盖第三层。”

    木匠回答说：“世上哪有这样的事，不盖第一层，怎么盖第二层？不盖第二层又怎么盖第三层呢？”

   “我现在就是不要下两层，你一定要给我盖第三层！”木匠听了哭笑不得，只好住手停工。